Season 14 slid off track

[shesquint]

What I assumed was that this influx of new members to the forum making threads about "tg sucks" comprised mostly of noobs who are experiencing tg for the first time. I think that was a bad call.

No offense to TG noobs.

This noob is moved to speak.

I'm reasonably new to TG. Resisted it for a long time, until I found myself watching the Vietnam special with my husband. Enjoyed it casually for several months thereafter. Then, a month or so ago, the TG bug bit hard. Now I've seen series 5-13, more than once in many cases. By way of disclaimer, I should state now that I haven't watched any of series 14 yet, but I gotta weigh in anyway.

Even I, new as I am to this wonderful world, have noticed the decline in quality as compared to the older series, particularly series 10. I'd love to see a return to the truly clever, creative approach they used to have to car reviews, as with the Smart for Four and having their mums test drive the three small cars. I've noticed that the interaction among the TG3 is less organic than it used to be. And, yes, I do wish Richard Hammond would cut his @#$%^ hair already. (I'm not a Hammondista or whatever the scary girls at HH call themselves. I just don't like 70s hair much.)

That said, no show is immune from its slumps. Even Band of Brothers and the mighty Joss Whedon had their less than stellar moments. The production team behind TG is still top notch and it's entirely possible that they've still got years' worth of aces up their sleeves. The brilliant series 12 wasn't all that long ago. TG is currently spread thin by TG Live and beset by BBC budget cuts. Moreover, The Mole seems to think that the production team is truly interested in hearing what we have to say. Rather than jumping all over them for making a few shows that are below their usual standards, why not sit tight and see if this trend is going to continue before freaking out about it? TG has been known to not only own up to its mistakes, but also to atone for them.

 

[iam-nobody]

Are you a Dr Who fan by any chance?

Seriously it doesn't sound like a bad shout - specials at Easter, August Bank Holiday and Christmas next year to give them time to recharge their batteries. Jeremy could make a couple more excellent historical documentaries, James could go to Oz with er Oz and drink some more wine and Richard could erm.........erm........ little help here?

Love a bit of David Tennant at Christmas

 

[shad_68]

As an aside to the main discussion, a few observations I have made in my mind.

Firstly, I can't shake off the impression that the trio isn't enjoying the show themselves as they used to. At least, that's what it seems like to me, when watching the newer episodes.
For lack of a better description, it just feels more as though I am watching them doing their job, instead of watching them having a good time.
My own little guess is that it's just become too much, with TG live and what have you, it's all become routine, a bit of a chore maybe even.

Secondly, a lot of segments just seem to be too long. If you look at the structure of recent episodes, you mostly have only three real segments in one episode - a review, SIARPC and a challenge (ignoring the news, which are relatively consistent in their spot throughout all seasons and thus don't really matter for this).
If you look at earlier episodes though (1-8) they usually had more bits that just weren't as long. As an example, look at 6x01 - Two regular reviews (Merc CLS & Honda Element), the Cool Wall, two challenges (RR Sport vs. Tank & Car football), and SIARPC.
Personally, I think that more varied range of content in one episode is more enjoyable than those few, long segments we have now. Because with those, it is very easy to accidentally slip into the area where something just starts to lose its focus, and subsequently becomes a bit boring.
The shorter bits were more "crisp" and to the point, and it also meant that even if one thing was really rather dreadful, it likely wouldn't ruin the whole episode as it's just one piece of many.

And lastly, even if they do segments that are, what most people would call "car focused", I find them to just too stupidly overblown. In those season I mentioned previously, you had a lot of "actual car reviews". And they weren't as elaborate as, say, the Fiesta piece, but they weren't exactly sleep inducing factual analysis of the subject car either.
To me at least, they were still entertaining, because of the special style, personal flair and subjective touch each of the three guys gave them.

Please note, I'm not jumping on the "Good heavens! This Top Gear sucks compared to the days of yore!" bandwagon. I'm not calling for TG to "go back to the way it was", because that's realistically not going to happen any way. Things change constantly and evolve, there's no getting away from that.
So I am merely pointing out a few of my personal observations of things I feel are making the current episodes of TG (I'm not just talking about S14 here) less enjoyable than they could be.

 

[shellygrrl]

As an aside to the main discussion, a few observations I have made in my mind.

Firstly, I can't shake off the impression that the trio isn't enjoying the show themselves as they used to. At least, that's what it seems like to me, when watching the newer episodes.
For lack of a better description, it just feels more as though I am watching them doing their job, instead of watching them having a good time.
My own little guess is that it's just become too much, with TG live and what have you, it's all become routine, a bit of a chore maybe even.

Another reason for them to take a breather! So it doesn't become "another day at the office".

Secondly, a lot of segments just seem to be too long. If you look at the structure of recent episodes, you mostly have only three real segments in one episode - a review, SIARPC and a challenge (ignoring the news, which are relatively consistent in their spot throughout all seasons and thus don't really matter for this).
If you look at earlier episodes though (1-8) they usually had more bits that just weren't as long. As an example, look at 6x01 - Two regular reviews (Merc CLS & Honda FitElement), the Cool Wall, two challenges (RR Sport vs. Tank & Car football), and SIARPC.

Yeah; some of the recent segments have been too long (Scirocco ad challenge for one). They could've easily fit in another short challenge or another car review many a time.

And, yes, I do wish Richard Hammond would cut his @#$%^ hair already.

He cut it two months ago.

 

[ozgirl]

Love a bit of David Tennant at Christmas

FTFY

Shellygrrl, I think this link you posted over in 14x04 discussion kind of applies here too.
http://www.topgear.com/blogs/planettopgear/074-top-gear-returns/

I think it's time they "retrenched" again

 

[shellygrrl]

Si, si, se?ora.

 

[shesquint]

He cut it two months ago.

:lol: Thanks for the good news! I do so hate it when someone who is otherwise entertaining and reasonably easy on the eyes assaults my optic nerves with anachronistic hair. Comes of having once lived in the deep south, I suppose. </offtopic>

 

[Doat1]

They are falling off this season it's just blatantly scripted and that just kills it. The Vietnam special is my favorite episode.

 

[Peter3hg]

The Lancia episode more than makes up for the other episodes, although I thought only the second episode was truly awful. I'm really looking forward to the low budget episode. Hopefully it will be similar to some of the early series.

 

[controlspecimen]

D'you know, I think that's why Series 9 is my least favourite of all the ones I've seen*?

http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2007/05/stories/09/3.html

That said, it was intentional, to a point.

Thanks for posting that article again. This quote near the end jumped out at me:

"Anyway, although we won't chase figures, we still have to give the audience something you want and like. Which means we should make Top Gear an entertainment show featuring cars, rather than a car show, that isn't as boring as your wife and kids feared."

 

[cvector]

oh FFS. listen if you dont like anything about TG and think it will end soon, or any other such BS then just stop watching it. damn simple.

we DONT need more BS threads bemoaning how bad someone thinks it all is. this crap is even spreading in to the discussions about the individual episodes. people drop in and dont talk about how they though particular segments where good or bad etc but just bitch the whole series is crap or its "not as good as previous series".

enough already.

 

[shellygrrl]

"I disagree with what you have to say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." ~ attributed to Voltaire

 

[nameless1]

It has. We're having this same discussion in the "Scrubs" thread right now, as a matter of fact, about how shows that go on longer than five years tend to.. er.. lose their focus, lets say.



And crushing meatmen underwater.


But that was actually awesome.

yeah
one of the rare and very interesting stuff in the sea of boringness and uselessness they are having lately...
it was kinda expected that they would run out of good myths sooner or later...

 

[nameless1]

I don't know about everybody else but I'm still enjoying it.

we probably all do but not as mush as before...
maybe people forgot how great and elegant tg was in the beginning...
i enjoy rewatching old seasons much more than before

 

[MWF]

oh FFS. listen if you dont like anything about TG and think it will end soon, or any other such BS then just stop watching it. damn simple.

we DONT need more BS threads bemoaning how bad someone thinks it all is. this crap is even spreading in to the discussions about the individual episodes. people drop in and dont talk about how they though particular segments where good or bad etc but just bitch the whole series is crap or its "not as good as previous series".

enough already.

Or how about if you aren't interested in partaking in a grown-up discussion in a civil manner you keep your thoughts to yourself?

It is a fact that those involved with the show on many levels lurk here. Audience figures and other data can only tell them so much and while I acknowledge those figures will have a bearing on the show and its direction I am sure they also like to know what long-term, dedicated fans think of the show and where it's going. If all they read is the fawnings of doe-eyed fanbois what use is that to them?

Yes, there have been threads like this before but they've always degenerated into troll-filled neg-rep fests. For once not only has the discussion remained constructive and well-mannered, in this case many of us feel it is justified given our perception of how much the quality has been lacking so far this season.

 

[dageshi]

I think with the best will in the world there is a limit to how many epic cocking around shows you can do. And the problem is there was nothing wrong with doing car reviews, all jeremy has to do in one of his reviews is do his german voice or look at the camera in a certain way and I'm in hysterics. The review of the three lunatic 4x4's is a good example.

The review of the three crap cars when they went to london was brilliant mainly because of the banter at how crap the cars were. That's when the lads really shine and they were reviewing cars!

The ihammer thrust video from ep2, I actually quite enjoyed that but I think it was just too long and certain bits just made me cringe. The bit where it rolled down the field and "crashed" felt like they needed to put an end on the segment or pad it out, they didn't have to do it and it just felt forced. The same where James dacey got mashed by the lorry, that didn't make sense, it wasn't particularly funny, you know what would have been funny, if James had decided to take the dacey along with the other two supercars instead of the lambo. And his dacey turned out to be massively more practical (who marries their wife for practicality!) than the supercars. That would have been funny and would have setup for some brilliant challenges.

It seems like things have been a bit rushed and not quite up to the usual quality this season.

That being said tg is *still* the best show on tv I just want it to stay that way.

 

[Dr_Grip]

They are falling off this season it's just blatantly scripted and that just kills it. The Vietnam special is my favorite episode.

There's a contradiction in this post, if you think it through.

 

[cvector]

Or how about if you aren't interested in partaking in a grown-up discussion in a civil manner you keep your thoughts to yourself?

wow, whos knickers are in a twist ? and you dare to tell to keep my thoughts to myself ? i just thought "tut".

Yes, there have been threads like this before

my exact point. oh please do excuse me for daring to think people starting the same sorts of threads over and over again is getting beyond a joke.

 

[Average Guy]

Shoot people who hate Top Gear!
Top Gear shall rule the woooooorld!

Muhahaha!

 

[Labcoatguy]

oh FFS. listen if you dont like anything about TG and think it will end soon, or any other such BS then just stop watching it. damn simple.

we DONT need more BS threads bemoaning how bad someone thinks it all is. this crap is even spreading in to the discussions about the individual episodes. people drop in and dont talk about how they though particular segments where good or bad etc but just bitch the whole series is crap or its "not as good as previous series".

enough already.

You're right. People with their knickers in a twist like that should keep their thoughts to themselves. In fact...

wow, whos knickers are in a twist ? and you dare to tell to keep my thoughts to myself ? i just thought "tut".

Wow, changed your tune have you?